Generally, all electrical connectors are provided with an interface for electrical connection with a complementary mating connector or other electrical or electronic device or component. Common interfaces may be in a receptacle or socket type connector for receiving a second or plug type connector to complete an electrical connection therebetween. Such connectors often are used in control equipment which incorporate such electronic devices as integrated circuits which cannot withstand an electrostatic shock. In such applications, both receptacle and plug type connectors provide multiple low voltage electrical connections within relatively small areas or envelopes, particularly where numbers of low voltage electrical connections are required. Each individual electrical connector typically includes an electrical contact or terminal providing an electrical connection with a contact or terminal of the complementary connector or other electrical device. When connecting or disconnecting such components, opposite charges at the interface may result in an electrostatic discharge between the two components. In fact, electrostatic discharges can occur simply by a person touching the interface of the connector. If the discharge propagates to a contact or terminal which is electrically associated with certain integrated circuits, such as with a semiconductor or other low power electrical device, the discharge could result in the destruction of the electrical device associated with the contact or terminal to which the discharge propagates.
In order to alleviate the electrostatic discharge problem, some electrical connectors include electrostatic discharge protection. Often, this protection is provided in the form of a shield configured as a plate, bar, rod or the like located generally at the connector interface and coupled to a ground within or without the connector. Unfortunately, the provision of such electrostatic discharge shields add significantly to the costs of these types of electrical connectors. The connector housings must be provided with grooves, channels, passages and the like for mounting the discharge shields, along with similar types of passageways for directing portions of the shield to a separate ground means either incorporated in the connector itself or to an outside ground component. Such structures add significantly to the overall cost of an otherwise relatively simple electrical connector.
On the other hand, most such electrical connectors include, as one of its terminals, a ground terminal which already has means for coupling the ground terminal to an external ground. This invention is directed to a simple solution to the problems identified above, by providing a simple electrostatic discharge shield means which is coupled directly to the ground terminal, itself, and thereby avoiding all of the extraneous structural provisions for grounding the shield as is prevalent with the prior art.